Default powers in respect of management and conservation of deer herds

Mr Adrian Flook

NC17

To move the following Clause:

'(1) If at any time it shall appear to the Secretary of State, following the appointment of a Deer Management Trust under section (Management and conservation of deer herds) of this Act, and following consultation with the Trust and other affected bodies and persons that, in respect of a specified deer management area

(a)

no agreement has been reached, or can be reasonably expected to be reached, on the establishment, under that section, of a workable voluntary deer management scheme in the area concerned; or

(b)

a scheme has failed to fulfil one or more of the purposes of a scheme as set out in subsections (6) or (7) of section (Management and conservation of deer herds),

he shall make an order to apply a mandatory deer management scheme in the area concerned, as provided for in the following subsections.

(2) When an order has been made under this section, it shall be an offence to shoot a deer, except for the purposes of paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 (rescue of wild mammal), otherwise than under a licence issued by a Deer Management Trust.

(3) A Deer Management Trust may, within a deer management area, licence an owner to shoot deer on his land, or to allow deer to be shot on his land by a competent person, within such limitations regarding location, times and numbers of deer to be shot as the Trust may impose. Such shooting may only be licensed for the purposes set out in paragraphs (a) to (c) of subsection (7) of section (Management and conservation of deer herds) of this Act.

(4) A Deer Management Trust may employ such number of deer wardens as may be necessary for carrying out its responsibilities under this Act.

(5) A deer warden shall be responsible (together with other people licensed under subsection (3)) for the shooting of deer, under licence, for the purposes of that subsection or for acting under paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 (rescue of wild mammal).

(6) A deer warden may be authorised to carry out any of the functions set out in subsection (7) of section (Management and conservation of deer herds) of this Act and, in particular to carry out the functions set out in paragraph (d) of that subsection.

(7) For the purpose of exercising his functions under subsections (5) and (6), a deer warden shall, during the hours of daylight, have a right of access in a vehicle, on horseback or on foot to any land within an area in respect of which an order has been made by the Secretary of State under subsection (1):

Provided that, whenever time allows, notice shall have been given, by or on behalf of the Trust, to the owner concerned of the intention to exercise such right of access.

(8) When exercising any of his functions under subsections (5) to (7), a deer warden may be accompanied by not more than six dogs.

(9) It shall be an offence to impede a Trust or any employee of a Trust in the exercise of their responsibilities under this section.'.

Mr James Gray

1

Title, line 2, leave out 'To prohibit hare coursing.'.

ORDER OF THE HOUSE [16TH DECEMBER 2002], AS AMENDED

HUNTING BILL

That the following provisions shall apply to the Hunting Bill:

Committal

1. The Bill shall be committed to a Standing Committee.

Proceedings in Standing Committee

2. Proceedings in the Standing Committee shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion on Thursday 27th February 2003.

3. The Standing Committee shall have leave to sit twice on the first day on which it meets.

Consideration and Third Reading

4. Proceedings on consideration shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour before the moment of interruption on the day on which those proceedings are commenced.

5. Proceedings on Third Reading shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion one hour after their commencement.

6. Sessional Order B (programming committees) made on 28th June 2001 shall not apply to proceedings on consideration and Third Reading.

Other proceedings

7. Any other proceedings on the Bill (including any proceedings on consideration of Lords Amendment or any further messages from the Lords) may be programmed.

ORDER OF THE COMMITTEE [7th JANUARY], AS AMENDED

That

(1) during proceedings on the Hunting Bill the Standing Committee shall, in addition to its first sitting on Tuesday 7th January 2003 at 4.30 p.m., meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8.55 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. (except that the Committee shall not meet on Tuesday 18th February or Thursday 20th February);

(2) the Bill shall be considered in the following order: Part 2, Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4 (in each case including related Schedules, New Clauses and New Schedules, with each Schedule being taken immediately after the Clause which introduces it);

(3) proceedings on the Bill (so far as not previously concluded) shall be brought to a conclusion at 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 27th February 2003.